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Recommended Power Tool Brands

11-07-2007, 02:50 PM

I am currently studying carpentry in college. My interest in carpentry has really taken off and I want to buy several power tools, but with so many brands out there, I don't know which ones to choose. I want to buy a miter saw, cordless drill, jigsaw, reciprocating saw, and perhaps a circular saw.

Which brands would you recommend I buy in each of these tools? Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated.

Milwaukee is king of the reciprocating saw and makes great drills too!!!!!!Best jigsaws are Bosch(their rotaries are great for the buck too).Makita owns cordless.Bosch and Makita both make great sliding miter saws as does dewalt.I like porter cable's circs. They are availble in left or right hand blade and have dust ports. Skil rules when it comes to worm drive circs.

Comment

One way to get a fairly good handle on what is good and what isn't would be to stop by a few job sites and make some notes as to what make and models those folks are using. Another thing to remember is that no tool company has a product line with all winners in it. Every company has a few lemons in their lineup. One other thing you'll find out real quick is that the tools that the pro's use won't come cheap but then again quality is never the cheapest buy.

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~~Don't worry about old age; it doesn't last that long.

There are several tiers of tool "quality"....with diminishing returns as you go up.

First tier (low quality knockoffs): Cheap chinese ripoffs sold by Harbor Freight and similar places. These are drills you can buy for $30 bucks and usually aren't going to last even the casual user very long. Brushes and wiring fail. Batteries often don't last a year.

Second tier (trademark tools): Branded chinese tools that passed some level of quality control. They have brand names like Coleman and Kawasacki and are sold in Kmart and Costco. These are usually a little better in quality, but woefully underpowered and come with weak batteries.

Third tier (homeowner/weekend warrior): Homeowner brands like Black and Decker and Ryobi. These are mix of decent tools and ones and some that border on flimsy. They have smaller batteries...sometimes non-replaceable, and often come with trickle chargers. Black and Decker is a little more fly-by-night, making some real cr_p and some stuff that competes well with Ryobi. Black and Decker also takes some risks and comes out with some real innovative designs. These tools are generally a little lighter weight than the next tier. These tools can be fine for a homeowner or occasional user but they aren't going to last long for a tradesman who uses them daily. Lately, I've seen DeWalt and a couple other companies selling these tools as low end entry models.

Fourth tier (work/business tools): The tradesmans tools. DeWalts, Ridgid, Milwaukee, Makita, Hitachi, Panasonic...etc. These are the tools designed to be used on the job sites, day after day. They have better and more bushings and bearings. They are often serviceable. They have higher power batteries and metal transmissions and 1 hour chargers. They weigh a little more (because of the metal transmissions, heavier housings...etc.) but are more durable.

Fifth tier (specialty/high end): This is the high end stuff. The brands that command very high prices because of their unique niche and name. Freud comes to mind. Snap-on is another one. These are the tools for people who demand a tool that will perform exactly how it claims and will back up the claims with a solid warranty.

My philosophy is to buy the best value for what you do. If you are only going to be using a tool occasionally, a homeowner model will probably suffice. If you are going to really work a tool at times, and I don't want to have to replace it every few years...or I want the little extra performance, buy the tradesman's model.

Also, while it is convenient to have common cordless tools, so you can use common batteries, you aren't going to get the best of every tool from one particular manufacturer. One might make the best reciprocating saw, while another the best circular saw. Therefore, it is a good idea to compare tool for tool, more than brand against brand.

For example, Milwaukee is the king of reciprocating saws. They invented the Sawzall. IMHO, Makita makes the best compound miter saw. Also, some features of a tool might be more important to one person than they are another. Whatever tool you are shopping for, check out the reviews for the various brands and decide which one might work best for you (Amazon has lots of reviews.) If you can borrow or use them, even better.

Milwaukee is a tradesmans brand and their tools are that level of quality.

Ryobi is a homeowner's brand, but, IMHO, one of the best, most consistent homeowner's brands. I have Ryobi One+ tools that have served me well for years because they are tools that don't get the duty cycles...like a right angle drill, for example.

Craftsman is all over the map. Sears doesn't make any tools...they have tools designed for them or just rebrand tools. Sometimes they rebrand cr_p. Sometimes they rebrand tradesman's tools. Their C3 brand is basically the Ryobi One+ setup with one extra battery cell. Last time I checked they sold a miter saw that was really a Bosch....a very nice saw.

Comment

I think I'll stear away from Ryobi. I'll probably buy either a DeWalt or Ridgid miter saw; Milwaukee Sawzall; a Bosch jigsaw; and either a DeWalt or Ridgid cordless drill. Perhaps a Porter-Cable circular saw if I decide to get one.

I think I'll stear away from Ryobi. I'll probably buy either a DeWalt or Ridgid miter saw; Milwaukee Sawzall; a Bosch jigsaw; and either a DeWalt or Ridgid cordless drill. Perhaps a Porter-Cable circular saw if I decide to get one.

if you can .... get the makia miter saw if not then the de worthless.

and if you are going towards carpentry then yes you will NEED a circular saw no if's and's or but's about that, the porter cable is a fine choice, though i still think you might want to atleast look at the bosch, or maybe even the milwalkee tilt lock. good luck you you and feel free to ask for help any time

p.s. check out the ridgid cordless if for no other reason then for the life time servce agrment batterys are covered in this as well though ridgid does not have as many cordless tools as other companys.

Thanks for the info. I noticed a well-priced Ryobi miter saw at Home Depot. Any opinions on Ryobi?

Unless you specifically want a saw that will NOT cut straight, steer clear. They have poorly machined pivots which means then will not cut true at all angles. The Ridgid miter saws, which are probably made in the same factory as Ryobi, have been plagued by the same problems and it does not seem like it has been corrected. I would strongly recommend a Bosch or Makita slider if it's within your budget. They will cut perfectly when properly adjusted. The Dewalt is also really good but not quite to the same level as the other two.

and if you are going towards carpentry then yes you will NEED a circular saw no if's and's or but's about that, the porter cable is a fine choice, though i still think you might want to atleast look at the bosch, or maybe even the milwalkee tilt lock. good luck you you and feel free to ask for help any time

I know I'm going to need a circular saw. My dad has two in the attic, but I don't know what kind of shape they're in. That's why I don't know whether or not I'm going to get one.